1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tile mounting plate and a tiled wall structure, and more particularly to a tile mounting plate for mounting tile blocks thereon to construct a tiled wall such as an outer wall of a building, its inner wall or the like and a tiled wall structure using such a tile mounting plate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A tile mounting plate which has been conventionally used for such a purpose as described above is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 48862/1987 and generally constructed in such a manner as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
More particularly, FIG. 1 shows a conventional tiled wall structure used as an outer wall of a building, wherein a tile mounting plate generally designated by reference numeral 100 is fixed on an outer surface of a wall base (not shown) of a building through suitable means 102 such as a backing member, a common rafter or the like and tile blocks 104 are supportedly arranged on an outer surface of the tile mounting plate 100, thus, a tiled wall is formed. For this purpose, the mounting plate 100, as shown in FIG. 2, is provided on an outer surface thereof with a plurality of substantially L-shaped holding pawls 106 arranged at predetermined intervals in a lateral direction thereof and in a plurality of rows at predetermined intervals in a vertical direction thereof. The tile blocks 104 are held on the tile mounting plate 100 through the holding pawls 106. The holding pawls 106 each are formed into a substantially L-shape by raising a part of the tile mounting plate 100. Correspondingly, the tile blocks 104 each are formed on an inner surface thereof with recesses 108, in which the holding pawls 106 are received to hold the tile block 104 on the tile mounting plate 100. The tile mounting plate 100 and tile blocks 104 are constructed in the manner described above, resulting in mounting of the tile blocks 104 on the tile mounting plate 100 taking place upwardly from a lower portion of the tile mounting plate 100 in turn.
As described above, the conventional mounting operation of the tile blocks on the mounting plate is carried out by merely hookedly engaging the recesses formed at the inner surface of each tile block with the holding pawls formed on the outer surface of the mounting plate by raising. Unfortunately, such a mounting manner fails to ensure positive and safe mounting of the tile blocks on the mounting plate. Also, as described above, the tile blocks are mounted on the mounting plate upwardly from the lower portion of the mounting plate in order. Accordingly, when a scaffold is assembled or rebuilt for mounting the tile blocks on an upper portion of the mounting plate or disassembled, tile blocks which have been already arranged on the mounting plate are often caused to be damaged or soiled. Also, disassembling of the scaffold cannot be accomplished prior to completion of arrangement of tile blocks on the mounting plate. Thus, it will be noted that the prior art deteriorates operability in arrangement of the tile blocks on the mounting plate.
Also, the prior art causes formation of a gap between the tile blocks mounted on the mounting plate, which is filled with a joint sealer to prevent rain water from entering the gap. Unfortunately, the joint sealer is apt to produce cracking due to a change with time, a variation of a temperature and the like, to thereby fail to fully prevent entrance of rainwater. Rainwater entering the gap then penetrates through holes formed by providing the mounting plate with the holding pawls into an inside of the tiled wall structure and a wall base of a building, resulting in leakage of rainwater.
Further, the conventional mounting plate is formed at a flat section thereof with a plurality of the holding pawls by raising parts of the flat sections. Unfortunately, the flat section essentially fails to exhibit high strength or rigidity. Accordingly, such formation of the holding pawls at the flat section deteriorates strength and rigidity of the tile mounting plate. However, the prior art does not take any steps necessary to reinforce the mounting plate. Accordingly, the tile mounting plate fails to exhibit satisfactory durability and safety because it must support relatively weighty tile blocks thereon in spite of being inferior in strength and rigidity as described above. In view of such a problem, it is proposed that the mounting plate is formed of aluminum by extrusion molding which permits the holding pawls to be formed integral with the mounting plate. Nevertheless, a mounting plate formed of aluminum by extrusion molding is deteriorated in heat resistance, particularly, fire resistance, to a degree to readily cause its thermal deformation when it reaches its critical temperature. Accordingly, it fails to safely support the tile blocks thereon when it is exposed to a high temperature.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a tile mounting plate which is capable of exhibiting strength and rigidity sufficient to safely and positively hold tile blocks thereon, effectively preventing leakage of rainwater and permitting tile blocks to be upwardly arranged from its lower end in turn and a tiled wall structure employing such a tile mounting plate.